Citroëns are a cult classic of sorts, beloved among Francophiles and design lovers. One particular man, Peter Mullin, who was both a Francophile and design lover all in one, bought some of the finest Citroëns out there. His estate is about to go up for sale at Gooding & Company’s no-reserve auction at The Mullin Automotive Museum on April 26th. For a limited time, you can peek at the seven cars below in the Gooding & Company catalogue or register to bid on them here.
Whether you’re curious about what an antique Citroën even looks like (spoiler alert: really beautiful) or want to see the best examples all in one place before they go up for sale, just keep reading.
1969 Citroën DS21 d'Usine Cabriolet
A bona fide classic, the DS21 was designed by the famed French automobile coachbuilder, Henri Chapron. This car is known as d‘Usine, or “from the factory,” as it was part of a line of cabriolets available only by special order, priced twice as high as the cost of the standard ID19 sedan. Before it entered the Mullin collection, this particular model lived in Northern France, making it a rare and beautifully restored French beauty.
1963 Citroën DS19 Concorde
Another Chapron stunner, this car is one of only 38 examples built. You can almost tell just looking at this joyful French coachwork that this car is not only beautifully built, but also rare. The DS model boasted front wheel drive, self-leveling hydropneumatic independent suspension, high-pressure automatic brakes, and sculpted, aerodynamic brakes. Fun fact about this car: Citroën almost went bankrupt developing it, because it really was just that technologically advanced. This particular car is accompanied by its original registration, as well as copies of its original order form.
1973 Citroën DS23 Prestige
This upgraded version of the DS offered unparalleled personalization to heads of state and the wealthy clients, a rare option given that most other French coachbuilders had halted operations. There were only about 350 DS Prestiges built, with fewer than 100 surviving today. This particular one has a 2.3 liter-fuel injected engine specification and semi automatic four-speed gearbox, in addition to its luxury trim finishes, making for a pretty sweet touring car.
1974 Citroën SM
Now, this is a French GT car, if we’ve ever seen one! SM stands for “Série Maserati,” after the Citroën-Maserati merger in 1968. If you love both French and Italian things, this is the car for you– a perfect mix of both things. It features Citroën’s renowned front-drive chassis and super smooth hydropneumatic suspension, but also brings Italian power with a four-cam Maserati V-6 engine. It’s a true touring car, capable of high speed executive commutes and long dashes alike. It also just looks so dang cool.
1971 Citroën DS21 Pallas
This car was known as the “goddess” for its unbridled creativity and innovation, as well as its evocative shape. This car became one of the most sought after machines in Europe for its ability to waft over the roughest roads with great speed and remarkable passenger comfort. It was perfect then, it’s perfect now.
1928 Citroën B14 Coupe
Now, for a little taste of an early Citroën. The B14 featured an all new light-weight chassis and all-steel bodywork, improving Citroën’s advanced and effective engineering. It was initially powered by a 1,539 cc four-cylinder powerplant, which was upsized to a 1,628 cc, and debuted at the 1926 Paris Motor Show. The B14 was adorned by painted accents in the style of French artist Sonia Delaunay, a true art deco showpiece.
1970 Citroën M35 Prototype
If you look at this car and think, wow, this really has a German vibe to it for a French car, your instincts are correct. At the time, Citroën was experimenting with the revolutionary Wankel rotary design, resulting in a 50 hp, single-rotor Wankel engine and hand built bodywork by Heuliez. While production of 500 examples were envisioned, just 267 were built– all adorned with front-fender graphics and a rear-window decal, translated, “This prototype Citroën ‘M35’ with rotary piston engine is on long-term test in the hands of a Citroën customer.” It’s a beautiful example of retrofuturism and would look unbelievably cool in any garage.
If you can’t get enough of the Citroën je ne sais quoi, there’s no need to stop the scrolling. You can tune in to see these cars go up for auction at Gooding & Company’s auction on April 26th, register to bid here, or pick out your dream car. All lots will be offered without reserve.
